complete verse (Ecclesiastes 2:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ecclesiastes 2:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “Yes, I became a very big man to a degree that anyone who lived before in Jerusalem before I came did not reach and my wisdom supported me.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “In Jerusalem I became very much greater than the men before me. I always kept the wisdom that I had.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I am the richest man who has-lived in Jerusalem, and I am still wise/[lit. continue I being-wise].” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So, I became greater than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was very wise.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ecclesiastes 2:9

2.9-11 is a brief passage in which Qoheleth sets out a summary of his achievements and what they meant for him. An additional reason for highlighting this passage is that with verse 11 we arrive at not only the conclusion of this first subsection of chapter 2, but also at a significant point in the structure of the book.

In verse 11 we read Qoheleth’s first response to the key question put in 1.3. There he asked about “lasting benefit,” and in 2.11 he will finally answer that question with the words “there is no lasting benefit.” Having arrived at that conclusion Qoheleth will offer some further examples before giving his advice in verse 24, which is based on his conclusion in verse 11.

Verse 9 opens this summary with the conjunction translated So in Revised Standard Version and “Yes” in Good News Translation. Both are attempts to show the close connection between this section and what has gone before: verses 9-11 rest on verses 1-8. Translators should use an appropriate marker to help readers make this connection.

With the words I became great, Qoheleth takes us back to what he said in verse 4. There are also connections back to the other summary in 1.16, where both verbs “be great” and “surpass” were found. The double expression I became great and surpassed adds weight to his claim that he was the most significant person who ever lived in Jerusalem.

All who were before me in Jerusalem is an expression used already in 1.16 and 2.7. In translation we can say “So in this way I became greater than any other person in Jerusalem had ever been.” The mention of Jerusalem may mean the city itself, in which case he presumably refers to himself as the greatest king ever to live in Jerusalem. Alternatively he may be using the term to refer to the entire nation of Israel. If the latter, then we can say “I became the most powerful person ever known in Israel.”

Also my wisdom remained with me: Qoheleth reminds his readers again that all he did was for the purpose of testing life. He says literally “my wisdom stood by me.” This is the same assurance he gave in verse 3. Thus Qoheleth followed strictly the rules and principles that governed the way sages approached every question or problem. It follows that his success was also due to following these principles. Thus he claims “Furthermore I relied on wisdom entirely” or “Everything I did was based on wise methods.” When Living Bible says he remained “clear-eyed,” it is not obvious that Qoheleth means he followed the established methods of the wise men. It is best not to follow the Living Bible example.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Ecclesiates. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 2:9

2:9a So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me;

Thus I was great. I was greater than anyone ⌊who had lived⌋ in Jerusalem before me.
-or-
I was the most famous person who had ever lived in Jerusalem. (EASY2015)

2:9b and my wisdom remained with me.

In all this my wisdom remained ⌊continually⌋ with me.
-or-
And I was very wise. (EASY2015)

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Commentaire sur la traduction de l'Ecclésiaste 2.9

Qohéleth arrête sa longue liste d’accomplissements pour résumer sa pensée. Il revient au mot clé גדל gdl, litt. « et je suis devenu grand et j’ai surpassé (hébreu : יסף ysf) parmi tout qui a été avant moi à Jérusalem », rappelant 1.16 parmi d’autres. Ici la forme qal du verbe n’a pas le sens causatif des autres occurrences « faire grandir une chose ». Ici, c’est Qohéleth qui devient grand. Il s’agit de l’agrandissement du nom du roi, de sa renommée. Ainsi la Parole de Vie dit « Je suis devenu quelqu’un d’important ». Les traducteurs pourront trouver une expression idiomatique. Dans certaines langues, on pourrait dire « Mon nom est sorti (est devenu plus grand) plus que… »

Bien que la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible dise je m’enrichis, le verbe hébreu est litt. « j’ai ajouté », c’est-à-dire, « surpassé » (Nouvelle Bible Segond, La Bible du Semeur) ou « dépassé » (Parole de Vie). Le texte ne précise pas s’il s’agit uniquement de richesses. La Bible en français courant dit, par exemple, « Je devins quelqu’un de considérable, bien plus considérable que tous ceux qui ont vécu avant moi à Jérusalem ».

Pour plus que tous mes prédécesseurs à Jérusalem, voir Ecc 1.16. Le texte parle au singulier de « tout qui était avant moi à Jérusalem », mais plusieurs versions comprennent un pluriel « tous ceux qui étaient avant moi/ qui m’ont précédé à Jérusalem » (Nouvelle Bible Segond, La Bible du Semeur).

Cependant ma sagesse, elle, m’assistait. : le texte dit litt. « aussi ma sagesse se tenait avec moi ». Tout au long de ses recherches, Qohéleth n’abandonne jamais son attachement à la sagesse. Malgré les grandeurs atteintes par Qohéleth, et malgré la quantité de plaisirs divers qu’il a connus (boisson, chanson, femmes), il a essayé de garder « derrière la tête » pour ainsi dire, la notion de la sagesse. La Bible en français courant dit « Mais pendant tout ce temps je restais lucide », ce qui est très clair mais cette traduction perd la référence au terme clé חָכְמָה ḥokmâh, sagesse, qui figure 25 fois dans ce livre.

La phrase commence par une particule אַף ʾaf que certains rendent par « aussi », mais celle-ci peut aussi signaler une contre-attente. En effet plusieurs versions optent pour ce sens : Cependant (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), « Et pourtant » (Parole de Vie), « Mais pendant » (Bible en français courant).

Pour sagesse, voir Introduction au commentaire de traduction de l’Ecclésiaste et Ecc 1.12. Ici ma sagesse est presque personnifiée, se tenant à côté de Qohéleth. Les traducteurs devraient chercher à exprimer cette idée de manière compréhensible. La Parole de Vie dit « j’ai gardé ma sagesse ». On pourrait dire « Mais avec tout cela, je restais sage ».

Source: Zogbo, Lynell. L’Ecclésiaste – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exégétique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2021.